Handful Conversation

Education is for every citizen. It is a right and not a privilege. It accepts whether an individual is rich or poor, young or old, and even those with physical disabilities. An educational institution is a place where teachers and students interact, communicate, and exchange knowledge and information.
What if students do not listen because they cannot hear? What if hey do not participate in oral recitations, class discussions or any class activity that requires speech? Such a grate challenge, isn’t it? Discover how deaf individuals cope with their academic challenges. They may be challenged in listening to sounds but they have unique way of expressing. Instead of employing words, they are using their hands to be hard.
Their Challenging College Lives
In coordination with the Tulong-Dunong Scholarship Program of CHED, Br. Narciso Erguiza Jr. FSC introduced these nine deaf students to the scholarship in order to help them study in college. Each student receives Php 6,000.00 subsidy on their tuition fee every semester. They are the first batch of deaf students who are studying in this institution. Currently, they are taking up Associate in Hotel and Restaurant Management. The following are: Rosil Arapoc, 20; Jenny Marie Canonizado, 21; Agnes Bergado, 21; Chicky Brizo, 21; Christian Rae Ano-os, 22; Mira Pebida, 22; Sherlyn Mamhut, 22; Janice Pasagdan, 24; and Niño Lumanta, 24. Most of them were graduates from La Salle University Deaf School.
Nervous as they were when they first joined the throng of freshmen populace. These deaf students have fourteen units this semester. Their HRM and HHK subjects are exclusive for them but the rest of their subjects are mainstreamed with the hearing students so they find the subjects difficult. When they are confronted with new words, as interpreted by Ms. Talibong, they religiously look for the meaning of the new words in the dictionary. Inside the campus, wherever one of them goes all the rest follow, thus, their bonding tightens. Aside from their classes, they usually spend most of their free time at the library, SAO, kiosks and sometimes at the benches of the LS lobby. “Indeed college is very hard for us. We have to double our time and effort so that we can cope up the lesson our instructors have discussed or else we cannot pass the quizzes and examinations”, Ms. Sarah Talibong interpreted.
Adjusting With Their New Environment
Unlike elementary and secondary levels where their classmates were familiar to them, tertiary education is a seemingly different world to them. They have to make a lot of adjustments. One is that, most of the teachers are hasty in class discussions that they cannot easily comprehend. Deaf students can only understand simple English that they often bring dictionaries or go to the library to get a full grasp of the meaning of the difficult topics. Some of their hearing classmates are concerned with them. Some build friendships, while others ignore them. Most laugh at them. Many of the college students talk behind their backs as if they were strangers. Some students even tease them saying, “amang, amang” (deaf, deaf). “Yes, that was true and it definitely hurt. My deaf students keep on telling me that they are treated like that by most of the hearing college students. But, my students are very optimistic. They just ignore students who tease them and forgot about it.” They are also thankful to the students who are Special Education majors for they are the students’ companions including some students who treat them nicely. These are the students who are concerned and friendly to them.
Despite their condition, their willingness to study never fades. “In life, nothing is impossible. For as long as we have life, the journey must go on. It doesn’t matter how God created us for it is the way we are planned to live. It is now our time to let the whole world realize that physical disability is not a hindrance to finish our studies and continue a harmonious living as normal people do.” These statements relate wit the deaf students’ perception of life. With the unwavering support of Ms. Sarah Talibong, teacher/interpreter, they are able to cope with college life.
These special students, like normal students do, also have their wishes. One of those wishes is that they earnestly desire to become normal (can hear and talk) but they said that they accepted who they are and what they have. They blame no one. Besides, they are very thankful to God that He had given their lives to continue the challenge. They just bear in mine\d that there is a special plan for them. Undeniably, each of us has this special plan.
Though deaf students are challenged individuals, they still endeavor for education because it is very essential treasure that they could utilize for the future. At this point, we can say and prove that being incapable of something is not an obstacle to continue our journey. Instead, let it be an encouragement, an inspiration….a challenge in this fast-paced world.
(The Deaf were interviewed by Harold Bodiongan and interpreted by Sarah)
Source: Tingog: The Official Student Publication of La Salle University - Ozamiz City. September 2009 issue